Gauteng title chases continue in Pretoria

Created: Friday, 27 October 2017 09:34
| Written by Michele Lupini

The Northern Regions Karting Championship returns to action for its penultimate round following a long break since the last meeting and without the bother of out of town competitors to skew the playing field at the Zwartkops Kart Raceway Saturday 28 October. That will leave Gauteng’s finest to fight it out among themselves for top provincial honours in the various classes.Newly crowned four-time South African DD2 champion Bradley Liebenberg is well on his way wrapping up the Gauteng championship too, aboard his Birel, but not if Bloemfontein driver Justin Allison (TonyKart) has anything to do with it, even if he will have to fend off the attentions of karting lass Ivana Cetinich in a strong championship third in that fast gearbox class. DD2 also caters for over-30 year old drivers in the Masters class, where top three Pascal Acquaah, Philippe Chapat and Marouan Selmi will fight over championship honours.

Cameron O’Connor (FA Kart) leads the Senior Max title race, but having missed a meeting, he has to be sure not to drop the ball to allow Joshua Dias, and TonyKart duo Daniel Duminy and Oliver Gunner to close in as they all still have the luxury of dropping their weakest scores come the end of the season in two meetings time. Brandon and Jamie Smith are also in with a shout there.Ian Basson is perhaps the surprise leader of the old school 125 GP title race ahead of Vets trio, Rob Bakewell, Mauro Munari and Laurance Jones, all of whom can upset the applecart, never mind quick KZN driver Scott Falconer, Jimmy Auby, Kurt Bakewell and Miguel Dias. They share the track with the Superkarts, where Brandon Auby holds a title advantage over the dueling Dylan Seely and Michael Pringle.Moving on to the school kid ranks, there’s an awfully close fight in high school Junior Max, where reigning Mini Max world champion Jayden Els (CRG) leads the title chase from lady driver Cameron Dias (Tony Kart) and Wayland Wyman (Praga), Kwanda Mokoena (FA) and another karting lass Tiffany Napier.

It’s also close in Jozi’s under-13 Mini Max, where Leyton Fourie (Kosmic), Jarrod Waberski (Praga), Daniel De Paiva (Kosmic) and Aqil Alibhai (Praga) are involved in a title dust-up and the likes of Matthew Morrell, Liam De Beer and Josh Le Roux ready to run interference. Waberski meanwhile leads two newly crowned South African champions, Maxterino winner Leyton Fourie and Mini Rok top kid Kwanda Mokoena in the other under-13 Mini Rok title chase, where Ethan Coetzee, Reece Fuller and brothers Saood and Sa’aad Variawa are also ready to strike any time.

Aqil Alibhai (Praga) leads the under-12 Maxterino 60cc title chase from Jordan Brooks, Joshua de Paiva and Muhammad Wally, with the likes of Joshua de Paiva, Troy Snyman, Jordan Brooks and Josh Le Roux all being major factors there too. SA champion Muhammed Wally (TonyKart) leads the under-11 Micro Max championship quite comfortably from Jayden Goosen and Mandla Mlangeni, with Joshua De Paiva and Troy Snyman all keen for a look-in.Last but not least, Luke Hill leads the baby under-8 Gauteng Cadet kart championship from Wian Boshoff and Anthon Lombard, but Rayn Asmal, who sits in a championship fourth has been the form guy there more recently and the likes of Tshepang Shisinwana and Cyril Jacobs are waiting in the wings to shake up the form book too.

Entrance to the Zwartkops Kart Raceway is free — the track is situated at the Zwartkops Raceway on the R55 just outside Laudium, Pretoria and the facility offers great grub at the clubhouse, full amenities and of course, you will be treated to a spellbinding day’s karting...